Ignis Fatuus
by Ice Krystal
Summary: Kalos has once again settled into peace after the incident with Team Flare. But it seems only short-lived, with a mysterious cult stepping out of the shadows. Ellie, a girl with panphobia, just happens to be setting out on her journey to conquer her fear of everything at the same time. But with the murder rate rising and pokemon attacks increasing, just what is she getting into?
1. The Mouse

**Ignis Fatuus**

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Mouse**

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"_Another victim was found __hanging from __the Prism __Tower__ this morning in Lumiose City,"_ the newscaster was saying on the television. _"__The police still have no evidence of who the Prism Killer is, and there are still no leads. __If you live in Lumiose or are visiting there, please remain cautious."_

My eyes drifted away from the TV, resting back on my plate of breakfast. I couldn't help but shiver; Luminose had once been the safest city in Kalos, even though it was the biggest, but since the Prism Killer had started murdering people over twenty years ago, that had changed. A-And soon I'd have to go there myself...

"I still can't believe they haven't found any evidence on who this guy is," Dad muttered from where he sat, feeding my two year old little brother, Benji.

"I know," Mom agreed with a sigh, examining the newspaper. "At least we're safe here in Vaniville Town. I didn't consider this when Colress suggested we move our research to Kalos."

My mom, Elizabeth Willow, was a pokemon professor, a former colleague of Professor Sycamore here in the region of Kalos, where she had grown up. She had moved to Kanto to study with Professor Oak, and met my dad while there. They married a couple of years later but didn't have me for another two years. About a decade ago, my mom had met a mysterious man named Colress who was a scientist studying how to bring out all of pokemon's potential. They began to work on a secret project, which she claimed would change the relationship between humans and pokemon forever. We had just moved here to Kalos because Mom wanted to look into Mega Stones.

"It's fine, dear," Dad chuckled as Benji squealed, trying to grab at a cherry tomato that Dad was trying to feed him. "As long as you promise not to travel alone in Lumiose. Same with you, Ellie."

I gulped. "Y-Yes, Daddy..."

Today, I was going to take the trainer permit test so I could officially become a trainer and have more than one pokemon. My mom had asked Professor Sycamore to give me a starter and a pokedex so I could travel Kalos in hopes to overcome my panphobia—my fear of everything. And I mean _everything. _I was such a coward. It was my mom's idea.

Mom must have seen the squeamish look on my face, because she looked over at me and gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Ellie. With Ren and whatever pokemon you choose from Professor Sycamore, you'll be fine! We all believe in you!"

Ren was my squirtle. I had gotten him as an egg when I was five. Since I had gotten him when he was not even born yet, I hadn't been scared of him at all even when he hatched. He was my safety blanket. He went everywhere with me—even to school—otherwise I'd be too scared to leave the house. Even now, he was sitting next to my chair, eating his own breakfast.

"I-I know," I muttered. "I want to get better, I really do—but i-it's so scary..."

"Big Sis," Benji cooed, looking at me with those big blue eyes of his. "You can do iiit! Okay!"

I couldn't help but give him a tiny smile. "Thank you, Benji..."

He squealed happily, grabbing for some of his cereal. I absolutely adored my little brother now, but when he had been born, his crying had terrified me. I still felt bad for not being able to help Dad take care of him when Mom was out working.

Mom checked her watch. "Oh, look at the time—I'm going to be late!" She hopped up from her seat. "Do your best on the test, honey! We all believe in you~!"

She gave me a quick kiss on the forehead, then one to Benji, and a quick peck on the lips to Dad before grabbing her coat and heading off. Once she was gone, Dad picked up the remote and turned the television to the toddler channel for Benji to watch. For a while, all you could hear was the kiddie show and Benji's happy cries as Dad and I ate the rest of our breakfast in silence. I was really forcing myself to eat; my appetite had vanished.

Ahhh, how could I do this?! Just the thought of having to go take the test was making my hands shake. Kalos was so much different from Kanto, from the pokemon to the customs.

No, no, I had to be strong! I could... totally... do this!

"You better get going, sweetie," Dad said. "The walk to Aquacorde Town is short and free of pokemon, but you should still get an early start."

I nodded, and reached for my glass of oran juice to finish it. Then I stood up, and went to my room to get my things. Ren looked up and hurried after me. I slowly scaled the stairs, and entered my bedroom. It was still so clean and new, though we had been living here for a month.

I went to my closet, and took my oversized lime green sweater off its hanger, pulling it on over my head. I brushed off my white pleated skirt and matching thigh high socks before putting my lime green flats on. Then I went to check to make sure I had everything I needed in my tote bag—money, Ren's poke ball, my holocaster, and pencils.

"Let's go, Ren," I said, slinging my bag onto my shoulder.

"Squirt!" he exclaimed, following me out of my room.

After saying goodbye to my dad and little brother, I left the house, stepping out into the warm spring air. The sky was clear, letting the sun shine down on everything. I took a deep breath to calm myself, and walked past the stonewall fence out onto the sidewalk. I could totally do this-

"Hey! You! You just moved in didn't you?!"

I squealed in surprise, jumping nearly ten feet into the air, whipping around to see who had yelled at me so aggressively.

"D-Don't scare me like that!" I sputtered, pressing my bag closer up against my side.

It was a boy, probably around my age. He had shaggy brown hair that could probably use a good brushing, lightly tanned skin, and hazel eyes. Being several inches taller than me made him even more intimidating, even though he had a band-aid over his nose. He wore a light blue v-neck shirt, a blue zip-up hoodie, navy blue gym shorts, and black sneakers.

"Sorry!" he exclaimed with a wince. "I just—Your family moved in here like a month ago, and I heard there was a kid my age. You never come outside, d'you?"

I shook my head, looking down. "N-No..."

"Heh, it doesn't matter!" He laughed. "I'm Will Tennyson! I live in the house to the left of yours."

"Um, I'm Ellie Willow," I said, forcing myself to look up at him. "I-It's nice to meet you..."

"Well, welcome to Kalos, Ellie," he said with a friendly smile. "You're from Kanto, right? That's what my mom said anyways."

"Yes, from Saffron City," I said quietly. "Oh, um, this is Ren."

"Squirt!" Ren greeted him.

"Whoa, you have your own pokemon already?!" Will gasped. "Guess it helps to have a pokemon professor as your mom!"

"I-I guess," I muttered.

"Say, Ellie, are you takin' the trainer permit test in Aquacorde?" he asked.

I nodded, which made him grin.

"Awesome, 'cause so am I! Let's walk together. S'not that far, but you can never be too careful with psychos like the Prism Killer out there."

Oh, Arceus, why did he have to remind me?

"Um, sure," I said, biting my bottom lip. "I-I don't mind."

"All right!" he cheered, making me flinch. "C'mon then, let's go!"

* * *

The walk to Aquacorde Town was a bit overwhelming for me, with Will and his loudness, but I forced myself to talk it and reminded myself this meant I had made one friend. Even though he was really loud, he was pretty nice. And if Ren liked him, that meant he was a good guy.

"Here we are!" Will announced as we strolled into town. "Aquacorde's only a little bigger than Vaniville, but it's got shops and a sweet cafe. I used to come here all the time with my older sister."

"Why don't you anymore?" I asked, curious.

"She joined this crazy cult or whatever," he sighed. "They call themselves the Shields of Zygarde. According to rumors the worship Zygarde and make human sacrifices to please it."

"What?!" I gasped, my eyes widening as I stopped dead in my tracks. "What is Zygarde?!"

Will stopped, turning around to face me. "It's one of the three main legendary pokemon of Kalos. It's said to watch over the ecosystem or somethin'. The cult claims that Zygarde wants all people destroyed 'cause we're ruining the world."

"That's... crazy..."

"Tell me about it," he sighed. "C'mon, we better hurry to the town hall or we'll be late!"

Will rushed off, leaving Ren and me to hurry after him. I tried not to freak out, because right now really wasn't the time to cry. But things only got worse when I ran smack dab right into someone, and fell flat on my back.

"HEY! Watch where you're goin'!"

"I-I'm s-sorry!" I stammered, pushing myself up. "I-I didn't-"

"That's not GOOD enough!"

"Hey, Phoebe, knock it off! Leave her alone!"

I managed to get back onto my feet, stumbling backwards, away from the person I had bumped into. I hesitantly looked up to see who it was. And I pretty much wished I hadn't.

It was a girl, who towered above me by several inches, with a fierce, don't-mess-with-me look on her face. She had thick red hair pulled back into a ponytail, but it was cut choppily, making everything uneven. Her eyes were a dark shade of brown, cold and heartless. She had a nose ring, and rings in her lips in the style that I thought was called ekans bites. She wore a band shirt of that band that the Gym Leader of Virbank City, Roxie, was in, a black leather jacket, ripped back jeans, and stiletto boots. This girl, whoever she was, absolutely terrified me.

"Oh, shut it, Tennyson," she snapped, making me flinch again. "Your little girlfriend here needs to watch where she's goin'!"

"Oh, Arceus, she's not my girlfriend!" Will groaned. "You're just like everybody else! See a guy with a girl, they _must_ be dating!"

I shivered, taking another step back, Ren glaring daggers at the punk girl. "W-Who are y-you?"

She looked down at me, narrowing her eyes. "Phoebe Dahmer. What 'bout you, honeybunch?"

"I-I'm Ellie W-Willow," I got out, my grip on my bag getting even tighter. "I-I'm really, r-really sorry about b-bumping into you-"

"Just don't do it again!" she snapped, and I nearly jumped.

And with that, Phoebe Dahmer stormed away, leaving us alone. Will sighed heavily, shaking his head before turning around to face me. He didn't say anything at first—just rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"I'm... sorry about that," he said mareepishly. "Phoebe's always been a jerk. At least her brother isn't. Anyways, we need to hurry!"

* * *

The town hall was bustling with activity—mainly kids coming to take the permit test. Seeing so many people in one place made me anxious. I had since picked up Ren in an attempt to comfort myself. Holding him did make me feel a little better but not by much.

"Here we are!" Will declared triumphantly. "And right on time too! You ready to take this test?"

"I-I guess so," I muttered, adjusting my arms around Ren. "I-It shouldn't be too hard... I mean, my mom has taught me a lot a-about pokemon..."

"Jeez, you're lucky," Will huffed. "Must be nice."

"I-I suppose so..."

We were all called inside then, and lined up to register. I ended up hugging Ren tightly to my chest just so I didn't freak out and start crying. I had to be brave. I could do this.

"Hello," the woman at the desk said in a dreary, bored voice. "Welcome to registration for the trainer license test. Let's get started."

Don't panic. Don't panic. Don't panic.

"Name?"

"E-Eleanor Willow."

"Gender?"

"F-Female."

"Date of birth?"

"M-March eleventh, 19—."

"Ethnicity?"

"K-Kantoan."

"Current residence?"

"Vaniville T-Town."

"Is this squirtle currently in your possession?"

"Y-Yes."

"You do not own any other pokemon?"

"N-No."

The lady finished filling out the form. "You're all set. Take this to be admitted to the testing room."

She handed me a card. Then she had me return Ren to his poke ball and put it in a tray with other poke balls. Good thing I had put a green heart sticker on it when I first got it.

W-Well... time to get this over with! I could do this... if I just believed in myself.

Luckily, Will had finished his registration right at the same time as me. So we walked together to the testing room. Without Ren, fear was creeping up on me, making me shiver. I just had to keep on repeating to myself...

_Don't panic. Don't panic. You can do this._

The test went surprisingly smoothly. I knew the answer to absolutely everything. Once I got absorbed into it, I was able to forget all of my anxieties and troubles. But once I was done, it all came rushing back. Though I didn't have much time to get overwhelmed, because I had to go get my picture taken for my trainer card. I had gotten a perfect score.

Before I knew it, it was all over. I got my trainer license. I was given back Ren's poke ball, along with five new poke balls to catch pokemon with, and a guide for newbie trainers. It happened so fast I almost didn't realize what I had accomplished.

I... did it...

"Ren..." I took out his poke ball and released him. "I did it!"

The squirtle beamed up at me. "Squirt! Squirtle!"

For the first time in a long time, I smiled and laughed. "If I can get through that, let's see how farther I can get!"

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**This is an OC fic, obviously, taking place in Kalos!**

**It will not be your typical "journey" fic. In fact, the plot has almost nothing to do with a journey.**

**Please review and tell me what you think!**


	2. The Lion

**Ignis Fatuus**

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**Chapter 2: The Lion**

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The next day began just like before—getting ready, eating breakfast with my family, gathering my things to go, heading out. Today, though, I would be meeting with Professor Sycamore's assistant to get my starter pokemon and a pokedex. Will was going to be there too—he told me that yesterday after the test. That made me feel a bit better.

We met up just like before and walked to Aquacorde Town. It was just as warm and pleasant outside as it had been yesterday, making being outside enjoyable. I could tell that Ren was really loving it. And if he was happy, I could be happy too.

"D'you know what pokemon you're gonna choose?" Will asked me as we entered the town.

"Um, no," I replied, biting my lip. "I don't really know the choices..."

"Oh, well, there's froakie, the water type, chespin, the grass type, and fennekin, the fire type," he told me. "I'm going for froakie, though, 'cause its final form is freaking badass."

"I-I see..."

We headed for the cafe, where we had been told we'd find the assistant. Back in Kanto, there weren't many cafes, much less cafes where you could sit outside and bask in the sun while enjoying your food. And there, sitting at a fairly large table outside, was the assistant.

From the way he was sitting, he had to be tall. His hair was pale blonde, spiked and styled with gel, and his eyes were a darker shade of green than mine. He wore a black jacket, white button down shirt, blue jeans, and hiking boots. He had to be seventeen or eighteen years old. And for the first time ever—I wasn't scared of someone. Ren, however, stiffened in my arms.

"Hey Tony!" Will greeted him cheerfully as we reached the table. "So you _are_ Sycamore's assistant, huh? That's neat!"

He laughed. "Yep, I sure am—good to see you again, Will." He then turned his attention to me. "And you must be Eleanor, Professor Willow's daughter?"

I nodded shyly. "Please call me Ellie..."

He smiled. "Sure thing. I'm Anthony Dahmer, but just call me Tony."

My eyes widened. "Dahmer?! You're—you're Phoebe's brother?"

He winced. "Yeah. Let me guess—you've met her?"

"Yes..."

"She was rude as ever," Will muttered.

Tony sighed. "Not surprised. Sorry you had to deal with that. My sister isn't the most... pleasant person around. She used to be so nice. I have no idea what happened to her."

Suddenly, Ren out a low growl, glaring at Tony. His body was all tense, like he was prepared to attack if necessary. I was shocked—he had never acted this way before.

"Ren, what's wrong?" I asked as all eyes turned to the squirtle.

"Squirt," he growled. "Squirtle!"

I really wished I could understand him...

"...He doesn't seem to like me, does he?" Tony chuckled. "Oh well. Let's get to business—your starters and pokedexes!"

He lifted his bag up onto the table, and opened it up. He pulled out a case with three poke balls in it, and set it down. Then he took out three cards that had pictures of the starters and information about them on them. He handed them to me.

"Since you don't know about our starters, look those over and decide," he told me. "Ladies first—so you get first pick."

I looked over the cards, reading what they said about each starter. They were so different from Kanto's and Johto's. It was refreshing in a way, but scary nonetheless. It was going to take a while for me to get used to a new pokemon... and that was embarrassing.

"Um... I-I choose Fennekin..."

"Ah, that's a good choice," Tony mused before taking the poke ball out of the case and handing it to me. "All right, Will—your turn."

"Froakie, dude," he said. "I want Froakie!"

Tony laughed and took out the poke ball and gave it to my friend. "You did say you wanted Froakie, didn't you?"

Will grinned. "Heh, that's right! Surprised you remembered that."

A smile tugged at Tony's lips. "You'd be surprised at what I can remember. Anyways, here are your pokedexes. I shouldn't have to explain about them, right?"

"Nope!" Will replied cheerfully as we were given the devices. "Thanks, man—I really can't wait to-"

All of a sudden, his holocaster went off. Frowning, he reached into his bag to take it out.

"It's my mom," he said, sounding worried. "I gotta take this. Be right back."

We watched him hurry away. I hesitatingly glanced over at Tony, biting my bottom lip. The older boy was frowning himself, with concern. I wondered what was going on... Would he know by any chance? But I was too scared to ask...

Tony sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Will's family's going through some tough times right now, because of his sister. That's what happens when you join a psycho cult."

I shivered, clutching the poke ball of my new pokemon tighter. "I-I see..."

He shook his head. "Ever since that whole deal with Team Flare five years ago, this region has been going down the tubes. It's up to our generation to change that." He looked down at me. "Do you think we can do it, Ellie?"

I jumped a little, and gulped. "I-I don't know... That's a tough question to answer..."

He was quiet for a moment. "...I suppose you're right. I apologize. That was a strange question to ask." He checked his poketch. "Ah, look at the time. I need to get going. Tell Will I said goodbye for me, will you?"

"S-Sure," I mumbled.

"Thanks, Ellie!" Tony smiled. "Catch you later sometime."

I watched in silence as he stood up and walked away. I looked down at Ren, who was still glaring after the guy. Shivering, I looked back at my new fennekin in its poke ball. Ugh, this was going to be rough—being scared of my own pokemon. Bracing myself, I released it from its poke ball.

"Rrrrrawr!" it growled menacingly, stretching out its long fluffy body on the table, making me nearly fall out of my seat. "Fen... Fennekin!"

I was absolutely terrified of this little yellow and red furball.

"A-Aaaah... um... h-hello..." I stammered, trying my best not to freak out. "Um... I-I'm Ellie... a-and t-this is Ren... W-We're partners... n-now..."

The fennekin looked up at me with this not pleased look on its face. It rolled its eyes, sashaying its tail. "Feeeeeeen! Fennekin."

I really wished I knew what it was saying, but whatever it was made Ren angry.

"Squirtle! Squirt!" he snapped, looking up at the fire-type with irritation. "Squirt squirtle."

The fennekin rolled its eyes again.

With shaking hands, I pulled out my brand new pokedex and turned it on. It was hard for me to keep in steady, much to my frustration. I was humiliating myself.

"Oh... s-so you're a girl..." I bit my lip. "I-I'll call you... _Nina._"

Nina huffed, flicking her tail again. "Fen."

I put the pokedex away, and pulled out my wallet. Inside were a brand new set of green star stickers to put on my poke balls. I was just putting one on Nina's when Will returned, looking grim.

"I'm sorry, Ellie, but I can't go to Santalune with you," he sighed. "My dad... got in an accident at work. My mom needs me to help her get stuff done today before I can leave. But we'll meet up there, I swear!"

My eyes widened. "It's fine, Will... I understand. I hope your dad is okay..."

"He should be, but..." Will sighed, and shook his head. "I gotta go. See you later, Ellie."

Once again, I watched someone leave me. I was alone again, with only Ren and Nina for company. With a heavy sighed, I looked down to my pokemon. It would probably be best to leave them both out, so I could start getting used to Nina, and I definitely needed Ren out for comfort. I slowly gathered my things together, and pushed back my chair, standing up. Nina jumped down off the table, and I did everything _not_ to flinch.

_I could do this. I could totally do this._

"C-Come on, guys... It's time to get going."


End file.
